Belize Barrier Reef System

Belize Barrier Reef System is recognized for its rich biodiversity and critical ecosystem services, including fisheries production, tourism, recreation, and shoreline protection. However, it faces significant threats from overfishing, unsustainable coastal development, uncontrolled tourism, land use practices, and oil exploration. Despite these challenges, Belize has implemented effective management strategies such as integrated coastal zone management plans, managed access fisheries, a ban on oil exploration, and protective fisheries legislation to mitigate impacts on the reef. This chapter focuses on the complexities of tourism use within this system, highlighting both its economic importance and the need for sustainable practices to preserve its ecological integrity.

Cho-Ricketts, L. (2018). Belize Barrier Reef System. Coral Reefs: Tourism, Conservation and Management, 93–106. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315537320-7